


five years

by orphan_account



Category: ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Family, Five Years Later, One Shot, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 16:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11832996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's been five years since the incident with the witch's curse, and so much has changed since then.(OR: Happy anniversary to Paranorman. Here, have a one shot.)





	five years

Five years.

It had been five years since the witch’s curse incident. Five years since his great uncle’s death and the warning that followed after, five years since the zombies had come back to life only to be given the sweet release into the afterlife that they were prohibited from for so long, five years since he helped his cousin, Agatha, look past her anger and realize that she wasn’t alone, five years since she was able to peacefully pass on—five years since that one night, where his life changed completely.

Did it change for the better, though? He thought about it sometimes. Did this incident open up a better chapter in his life? Or did the incident only worsen how everyone thought of him?

After looking back on things for a few minutes, Norman already knew the answer to his questions. His life did change for the better.

Sure, the people in town still looked at him as if he were crazy sometimes, but there were people who applauded him for breaking the curse. In school, no one picked on him as much anymore—of course, he wasn’t popular, but… still, it was an improvement. He’d even made friends with Alvin—sort of. Sometimes, it didn’t feel like they were friends, but then there were times were Norman was reminded that they were, in fact, friends.

His family life improved a lot, too. His parents still didn’t fully understand him, but his father didn’t get as cross with him as he’d been before about him seeing ghosts. His mother remained the same, ever as supportive. Courtney warmed up a bit, too—she wasn’t annoyed at him anymore, which was… surprising to him at first, to say the least.

His grandma never changed. She still resided on the couch. Proud as ever, and made sure he knew that she was. Her encouraging words still echoed through his mind.

_“It’s okay to be afraid, as long as you don’t let it change who you are.”_

“I never thanked her, did I?” Norman asked himself. “I hope it isn’t too late…”

And so, he approached the living room, and sat down on the couch next to his grandmother. “Hey, Grandma,” he said to the elderly ghost.

“Hello, Norman,” his grandmother replied, smiling at him while she knitted.

“I—I know it’s been five years since the whole… incident. You know, the one with Aggie and the zombies,” Norman laughed awkwardly. “Time sure does fly by, huh?”

“I’ll say,” his grandmother remarked, inspecting his facial features more carefully. “Sixteen years old, and you’ve already got facial hair on your chin! Just like your dad.”

“Yeah,” Norman chuckled, feeling his chin. “That’s the one thing we got in common…” He then cleared his throat, “But that’s beside the point. The point is—and I know I should’ve said this five years ago, but I’ll say it now before I end up saying it at a much later date: thank you.” He smiled. “If it weren’t for your encouraging words, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. I wouldn’t have done what I did that night if it weren’t for you, so… thank you, Grandma.”

His grandmother stared at her grandson blankly for a moment, before she smiled at him and said, “You’re welcome, Grandson.”

She then tried hugging him—only to phase through. Still, Norman tried copying the gesture, only for the same results to happen again.

Both grandmother and grandson laughed.

Indeed, a lot had changed since that odd night on August 7th, five years ago.

**Author's Note:**

> again, happy anniversary to paranorman, and thank you, laika, for another masterpiece of a film.


End file.
